Iodine and iodophors are widely used in antiseptics and disinfectants to prevent the growth of microorganisms, and for treating and preventing local infections and in controlling the spread of disease, and are thus widely used in medical or health care facilities, institutional facilities, industrial facilities and so forth.
Iodophors are complexes of iodine with solubilizers or carriers which are typically polymers such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone or polyethylene glycol, or certain types of surface active agents that have detergent properties. The iodophors complex iodine and facilitate the liberation of free iodine in solution. Commonly used iodophors include iodine complexed with nonionic surfactants, iodine complexed with glycol ether, and iodine complexed with polyvinylpyrrolidone (1-ethenyl-2-pyrrolidone homopolymer compound). The latter is probably the most widely used iodophor and is generally known as Povidone-lodine, U.S.P.; see The Merck Index, 10th Edition, monograph 7595 (1983).
Povidone-iodine products are commercially available in a variety of forms including antiseptic gels, ointments, solutions, scrubs, and so forth. Povidone-iodine is commonly found under the name of Alphadine.RTM., a trademark of Ecolab Inc. located in St. Paul, Minn. Some formulations are bacteriostatic or microbiocidal, killing gram negative and gram positive bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa and yeasts.
Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities routinely use povidone-iodine formulations in surgical and other procedures, and for patient care. It is inevitable that hospital linens including sheets, gowns, drapes, and other textile products will become soiled with povidone-iodine complex stains. Spills commonly occur resulting in the soiling of floors, countertops, and walls as well. In the case of flooring such as tile, the povidone-iodine complex will go right through the floor finish to the tile below, resulting in the necessary replacement of the tile. Furthermore, these stains, containing not only iodine, but a polymeric complexing agent, are very difficult to remove by the usual cleaning and laundering techniques, and with the currently available detergent products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,569 describes a detergent composition for removing povidone-iodine-complex antiseptics from stained linens. The detergent composition contains N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone, gamma butyrolactone, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol or 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane-2-one.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,937 describes a method of decolorizing iodine stain on a substrate, and in particular, to a method employing a carboxyalkene which may undergo iodolactonization.
An alternative solution is to use sodium thiosulfate which is a good reducing agent. Typically, a paste of sodium thiosulfate is made, applied to the stain, and allowed to stand for 24 hours. This is a tedious process, however, and more desirable solutions are needed.
The present inventors have found an improved composition for removing iodine stains. The composition contains at least one of salicylic acid, salicylic acid derivative or mixture thereof, and at least one solvent.